Display case



March 13, 1951 BROCE 2,545,255

DISPLAY CASE Filed Dec. 2, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 1 .INVENTOR. LEON E. BROCE I ATTORNEY March 13, 1951 E. BROCE 2,545,255

DISPLAY CASE Filed Dec; 2, 1946 ,1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F /7 I ll 76' l/ 0 a INVENTOR.

LEON 5. 519005 A TTORNEV March 13, 1951 L, BROCE 2,545,255

DISPLAY CASE Filed Dec. 2, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. LEON E. BROCE yaw A 7' TORNEV Patented Mar. 13, 1951 DISPLAY CASE Leon E. Broce, Arcadia, Calif., assignoito Hurum E. Reeve Company, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 2, 1946, Serial No. 713,547

My invention relate to a display device having an upwardly and rearwardly sloping front wall with spaces thereon to receive the objects to be displayed, and relates in particular to a display case especially suitable for greeting cards and the like.

It is an object of the invention to .provide a display case of this character consisting of a number of metal wall members which are detachably secured together so as to form a rigid structure, these members being so formed that they may be assembled and disassembled without use of tools of any kind. Card display cases of the type to which the present invention relates are of large size and as previousl manufactured require large space for shipment. The demountable display case forming the subject matter of this invention may be shipped in a relatively small package which may be comparatively easily handled and will occupy a comparatively small shipping space.

A further advantage of the invention is that the display case may be readily disassembled and stored when not needed for display purposes. There are certain times when the demand for greeting cards is quite large, for example, just preceding the holidays and other designated days which are commemorated by an extensive ex change of greeting cards. During these times the stores selling display cards may bring from their store-rooms a required number of these demountable display cases which are set up on counters so as to increase the card display facilities of the stores. As soon as the demand for greeting cards has subsided, such additional display cases are disassembled and returned to storage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple construction and combination of sheet metal parts which are manufactured separately and which, when assembled, produce a display case which is very rigid and serviceable, and in addition to this provides an attractive means for the display cards. An important feature of this invention is that the cost of manufacturing the demountable display case is less than the cost of manufacture of a permanently constructed or non-demountable display case of like size.

A further object of the invention is to provide in this demountable display case an arrangement whereby a. stock drawer is supported in the lower portion of the display case and is supported so that it may be readily opened and closed from the front of the display case, thereby making it possible to use the display case in a position wherein its back abuts a vertical wall. Also, simple means are provided for supporting a cover plate which covers the drawer when it is in closed position; this cover plate being liftable so as to gain access to the stock drawer from the rear of the display 9 Claims. (Cl. 312119) 2 case when the display case is mounted on a counter away from a vertical wall.

Further objects and'advantages of the invention may be brought out in the following part of the specification wherein detailed description is used for the purpose of completely disclosing the invention without placing limitation on thescope of the invention'defined by the appended claims. Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only: a Y I Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a display case embodying my invention; I

Fig. 2 is a section taken as indicated by the line '22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken as indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Y Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken as indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the first steps followed in the assembling of the display case;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view showing the manner inwhich the front wall is placed in operative relation to the end walls;

Fig. 8 is a partly sectioned end elevation of the case showing the final step of placing the drawer;

and,

Fig. 9 is a sectional view. to enlarged scale showing the constituent parts of the display case in a shipping container.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the display case has a front wall section lll which slopes upwardly and rearwardly and end wallsections I I. Below the front wall section l9, as shown in Fig. 2, there is a drawer l2 having a front wall structure 13 which, when the drawer is in closed position, constitutes a continuation of the lower portion of the frontwall section Ill. The front wall section. it includes a plurality of bent plates it arrangedin a zigzag manner, as shown in Figs. 2 and 9, the lower portions 'of these plates M forming steps or supports 15. Along the front edge'portion of each step It a glass'strip I6 is supported so as to cooperate with the bent plates I I in forming channels or pockets in which cards may be placed so as to be displayed to prospective purchasers. These glass strips 16 are held in place by clips I! positioned at the ends of the steps l5. The front wall section [3 of the drawer I2 has also bent plates I4 arranged in zigzag order so as to provide steps [5 disposed as a downward continuation of the lower part of the front wall section It, these steps having along the front edges thereof glass strips [6 held by clips ll.

As shown in Figs- 2, 3 and 9, the. plates 14 have flanges lt forined perpendicularly 'on,the ends thereof. These flanges I8 are secured to the inner faces of edge plates l9 employed in the attachment of the front wall section l to the end wall sections ll. Whenthe bent plates M are secured in zigzag order to the end plates [9 by the welding of the flanges l8 to the plates it, a rigid front wall structure I is formed. The end wall sections ll comprise metal plates 29 of right-triangular form. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the upwardly and rearwardly sloping edges 2| of the plates 2d are provided with edge portions 22 which are bent or folded inwardly and downwardly so as to provide sloping channels 23 extending from the upper corners 24 of the plates Ell to points near the lower ends of thegplate edges 2|. On the inner faces of the plates 26 in parallel relation to the channelforming edge portions 22, cooperating channelforrning strips 25 are secured, each of these channel-forrning strips, as shown in Fig. 3, having a portion 26 to engage the inner surface of a plate 20, an offset portion 2'! and a lip portion 26 disposed in spaced relation to the face of the plate 26 to form a channel 23. The channels 23 and 23' form guides to receive the edges 23 and 3i! of the end plates Id of the front wall structure 56. The inner faces of the plates 25 are provided with stops St for limiting the distance the end plates is may be moved downwardly in the guides formed by the members 22 and 25.

As shown in Figs. 2, 5, 6 and 7, a perpendicular flange 32 is bent inwardly from the lower edge of each plate 28, and above each flange 32 an angle strip 33 is secured to the inner face of each plate 26, the upper outstanding flanges 34 thereof providing shelves along which the edges of the rawer [2 may slide. Ahead of the front ends of the angle members 33 are shorter angle members 33' of the same vertical height as the angle members 33, andhaving outstanding flanges 34'. The angle members 33 differ from the angle members 33 in. that they have the upper vertical wall portions 35 thereof, Fig. 5, offset from the wall portions 33 thereof which are secured to the'plates 28 by spot-welding, thereby forming upwardly faced channels 3? to receive the downwardly turned lip 39, one each of said lips 39 being formed on an end of a front sill or spreader member 483.

The spreader member 40 is an inverted channel, formed from sheet metal. It has an upper horizontal wall ll fromwhich the lips 39 are downwardly turned, a sloping front wall 52 bent downwardly from the front edge of the top wall ll, and a vertical rear wall 33 bent down from the rear edge of the top wall 4!, these front and rear walls 42 and 43 having inwardly turned flanges 44, as shown in Figs. 6 and 9.

Starting from a point contiguous to the upper ends of the channel-forming members 25, the rear edges 46 of the plates 26 have flanges 45 turned inwardly therefrom, these flanges 35 extendin down to the lower edges of the plates 29. As shown in Figs. 4, 6 and '7, short channelforming strips 46 are secured to the inner faces of the plates 21! in spaced relation to the lower ends of the flanges 45. Each of the channelforming members d6 has a portion l, which is spot-welded to the inner face of the plate an, offset portion 4 8, and a lip portion forming, with relation to the plate 20, a channel 59 which is open at its upper end and is vertically elongated. The purpose of the channels 523 is to receive the lips or flanges 5! which are bent perpendicularly from the ends of a rear spreader member 52. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the rear spreader member 52 includes a vertical plate 53 having upper and lower longitudinal flanges 5s and 55, the ends of which flanges 56 and 55 do not engage the vertically disposed flanges in at the ends of the plate 53.

When it is desired to assemble the display case, the end wall sections H are disposed in spaced relation, as shown in Fig. 6, and the spreader members 49 and 52 are installed. In Fig. 6 these spreader members 2!! and 52 are disclosed in raised positions ready to be lowered into the positions which they assume in the assembly, Fig. 7. First, the rear spreader plate 52 may be moved downwardly along the inner faces of the flanges i5 which project toward each other and the rear edges 44 of the plates 20, so that the lips or flanges 5! of the rear spreader plate 52 will move downwardly in the channels 53 formed by the members it, thereby connecting the lower rear portions of the end wall sections El together. The front spreader member iil is then lowered so that the lips 39 at the ends thereof will enter the channels formed by the angle members 33' and so that the ends of the rear wall 43 of the front spreader 49 will enter the narrow vertical spaces 56 between the front ends of the angle members 33 and the rear ends of the angle members 33, thereby holding the lower front portions of the end wall sections ll together as shown in Fig. l.

The next step in the assembling of the display case is to slide the front wall Section is downwardly through the position in which it is shown in Fig. 7, partly installed, to the fully installed position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The installation of the front wall section if! is accomplished by sliding the end plates l9 downwardly in the guides formed by the lips 22 and 28, Fig. 3, which define the channels 23 and 23 to receive the edges 29 and 38 of the end plates I9. When the parts are assembled, as described in the foregoing, a rigid structure is formed. The drawer 12 may then be slid into the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thereafter the glass strips 16 and iii may be installed in the clips ll and IT.

The drawer l2, as shown to enlarged scale in Fig. 9, includes in addition to the front wall structure l3 a bottom wall 66, side walls iii, a rear end wall 62, and a front vertical wall 63 defining the front margin of the storage space 64 of the drawer [2. A cover 65 is provided for the space within the display case structure into which the drawer l2 slides. This cover comprises a plate 66 having a flange 611 along its front edge and a flange 68 along its rear edge. The front flange 81 of the cover 55 engages an upwardly faced channel 70 formed by a bent plate ll within the lower portion of the front wall section it). The rear edge of the cover 55 rests upon the upper edge of the rear spreader member 52.

In the sectional view, Fig. 9, the various parts of the display case are shown disassembled, and to enlarged scale, arranged in a packing, shipping or storing case 15 of relatively flat form. It will be perceived that the component parts of the display case are so formed with relation to each other that they may occupy a relatively small space and may be fitted into the packing case l5 for convenient shipment as compared to the previous shipment of fully erected display cases of this type. The drawer i2 may be placed in the bottom of the packing case '15 which is made of such size that the front wall section I 0 will be received in the upper part thereof as shown, this wall section l9 being rested upon the upper portion of the drawer l2 and the plate members 52 and 65 Which are placed across the top of the drawer l2. The end wall sections H are then laid upon the top of the front wall section ll) so as to occupy a position underneath and adjacent to the cover It of the packing case 15. The front spreader member and the glass strips l6 and I6 may be placed adjacent the rear end wall 62 of the drawer I2.

I claim: Y

1. In a display case having upwardly and rearwardly sloping stepped supports for display of objects,'the combination of a pair of triangular end wall members having front edges which slope upwardly and rearwardly, said edges being bent inwardly and rearwardly so as to form channels and cooperating channel-forming members secured on the inner faces of said wall members in spaced relation to said channels; spreader means for holding the lower portions of said wall members in spaced relation; interfitting means operative between said wall members and the end of said spreader means for connecting the ends of the spreader means to said wall members; and a front wall member having spaces to receive objects which are to be placed on display, said front wall member having oppositely directed flanges 0n the end edges thereof, the edges of each of said flanges being disposed so as to slide respectively into one of said channels and under the edge portion of the channel-forming member in spaced relation thereto and rigidly connecting said end walls.

2. In a display case having upwardly and rearwardly sloping stepped supports for display of objects, the combination of: a pair of triangular end wall members having front edges which slope upwardly and rearwardly, said edges being bent inwardly and rearwardly so as to form channels and cooperating channel-forming members secured on the inner faces of said wall members in spaced relation to said channels; spreader means for holding the lower portions of said wall members in spaced relation; interfitting means operative between said wall members and the end of said spreader means forconnecting the ends of the spreader means to'said wall members;

on display, said front wall member having oppositely directed flanges on the end edges thereof, the edges of each of said flanges being disposed so as to slide respectively into one of said channels and under the edge portion of the channel-forming :member in spaced relation thereto and rigidly connecting said end walls, said front wall member having a top-to-bottom dimension less than the length of either of said front edges so that when said front wall member is installed there will be an opening below the same; and a drawer disposed so as to be moved through said opening.

3. In a display case having upwardly and rearwardly sloping stepped supports for display of objects, the combination of: a pair of triangular end wall members having front edges which slope upwardly and rearwardly, said edges being bent inwardly and rearwardly so as to form channels and cooperating channel-forming members secured 'on theinnerfac'es of said wall members in spaced relation to said channels; spreader means for holding the lower portions of said wall members in spaced relation; inter-fitting means a front wall member having spaces to receive objects which are to be placed operative between said wall ends of the spreader means to said wall mem-v bers; and a front wall member comprising a pair of elongated plates in spaced relation and a zigzag wall having its end edges connected to said plates so as to form ledges to receive objects which are to be placed on display, the edges of each of said plates being disposed so as to slide respectively into one of said channels and under the edge portion of the channel-forming memher in spaced relation thereto.

4. In a display case having upwardly and rearwardly sloping stepped supports for display of objects, the combination of: a pair of triangular end wall members having front edges which slope upwardly andrearwardly, said edges being bent inwardly and rearwardly so as to form channels and cooperating channel-forming members secured on the inner faces of said wall members in spaced relation to said channels;- spreader means for holding the lower portions of said wall members in spaced relation; inter-fitting means operative between said wall members and the end of said spreader means for connecting the ends of the spreader means to said wall mem- :bers; a front wall member comprising a pair of elongated plates in spaced relation and a zigzag wall having its end edges connected to said plates so as to form ledges to receive objects which are to be placed on display, the edges of each of said plates being disposed so as to slide respectively into one of said channels and under the edge portion of the channel-forming member in spaced relation thereto, said front wall member having a top-to-bottom dimension less than the length of eitherof said front edges so that when said front wall member is installed there will be an opening below the same; and a drawer disposed so as to be moved through said opening. 7,

5. In a display case having upwardly and rearwardly sloping stepped supports for display of objects, the combinaiion of: a pairof triangular end wall members having front edges which slope upwardly and rearwardly, said edges being bent inwardly and rearwardly so as to form channels and cooperating channel-forming members secured on the inner faces of said wall members in spaced relation to said channels; a horizontal flange projecting inwardly from the lower portion of each of said end wall members; a horizontal front spreader member-t0 connect the lower front portions of said end wall members together ahead of said horizontal flanges; ver tical spreader member for connecting the lower rear portions of said end wallmernbers together at the rear ends of said flanges; inter-fitting means operative between said wall members and the ends of said spreader members for connecting the ends of the spreader means to said wall members; a front wall member having spaces to receive objects which are to be placed on display, said front wall member having plates secured to the end edges thereof, the edges of each of said plates being disposed so as to slide respectively into one of said channels and under the edge port-ion of the channel-forming member in spaced relation thereto, said front wall member having a top-to-bottom dimension less than the length of either of said front edgesso that when said front wall member is installed there will be an opening below the same; anda drawer disposed so as to be moved through said opening, the edges of said drawer resting on said flanges when the drawer is in closed position.

6. In a display case having upwardly and rearwardly sloping stepped supports for display of objects, the combination of: a pair of triangular end wall members having front edges which slope upwardly and rearwardly; a horizontal flange projecting inwardly from the lower portion of each of said end wall members; a hor'montal front spreader member to connect the lower front portions of said end wall members together ahead of said horizontal flanges; a. vertical spreader men her for connecting the lower rear portions of said end wall members together at the rear ends of said flanges; inter-fitting means operative be tween said wall members and the end of said spreader members for connecting the ends of the spreader means to said wall members; a fron; wall member having spaces to receive objects which are to be placed on display, said front wall member having a top-to-bottom dimension less than the length of either of said front edges so that when said front wall. member is installed there will be an opening below the same; means for removably attaching the edges of said front wall member to said end, wall members ccntiguous to the sloping front edges thereof; and a drawer disposed so as to be moved through said opening, the edges of said drawer resting on said flange when the drawer i in closed position.

7. In a display case having upwardly and rearwardly sloping stepped supports for display of objects, the combination of: a pair of triangular end wall members having front edges which slope upwardly and rearwardly; a horizontal flange projecting inwardly from the lower portion of each of said end wall members; a horizontal front spreader men bar to connect the lower front portions of said end wall members together ahead of said horizontal flanges; a vertical spreader member for connecting the lower rear portions of said end wall members together at the rear ends of said flanges; inter-fitting means operative between said wall members and the end of said spreader members for connecting the ends of the spreader members to said wall members; a front wall member having zigzag wall sections placed so as to form spaces to receive objects which are to be placed on display, said front wall member having a top-to-bottom dimension less than the length of either of said front edges so that when said front wall member is installed there will be an opening below the same; means for removably attaching the edges of said front wall member to said end wall members contiguous to the sloping front edges thereof; and a drawer disposed 'so as to be moved through said opening, the edges of said drawer resting on said flanges when the drawer is in closed position.

8. In a display case having upwardly and rearwardly sloping stepped supports for display of objects, the combination of: a pair of triangular end wall members having front edges which slope upwardly and rearwardly, said edges being bent" inwardly and rearwardly so as to form channels and cooperating channel-forming members secured on the inner faces of said wall members in spaced relation to said channels; a horizontal flange projecting inwardly from the lower portion of each of said end wall members; a horizontal front spreader member to connect the lower front portions of said end wall members together ahead of said horizontal flanges; a vertical spreader member for connecting the lower rear portions of said end wall members together at the rear ends of said flanges; inter-fitting means operative between said wall members and the ends of-said spreader members for-connecting the ends of the spreader members to said wall members; a front wall member having spaces to receiveobjects which are to be placed on display, said front wall member having plate-s secured to the end edges thereof, the edges of each of said plates being disposed so as to slide respectively into one of said channels and under the edge portion of the channel-forming member in spaced relation thereto, said front wall member having a top-to-bottom dimension less than the length of either of said front edges so that when said front wall member is installed there will bean opening below the same; a drawer disposed so as .to be moved through said opening, the edges of said drawer resting on said flanges when the drawer is in closed position; an upwardly faced channel extending from one end to the other of said front Wall member inside the lower edge thereof; and a cover plate for said drawer having a flange at its front edge to engage said channel, the rear edge portion of said cover plate resting on the upper edge of said vertical spreader member.

9. In a display case having upwardly and rearwardly sloping stepped supports for display of objects, the combination of: a pair of triangular end wall members having front edges which slope upwardly and rearwardly; a horizontal flange projecting inwardly from the lower portion of each of said end wall members; a horizontal front spreader member to connect the lower front portions of said end wall members together ahead of said horizontal flanges; a vertical spreader member for connecting the lower rear portions of said end wall members together at the rear ends of said flanges; inter-fitting means operative between said wall members and the end of said spreader members for connecting the ends of the spreader members to said wall members; a front wall member having zigzag wall sections placed so as to form spaces to receive objects which are to be placed on display, said front wall member having a top-to-bottom dimension less than the length of either of said front edges so that when said. front wall member is installed there will be an opening below the same; means for removably attaching the edges of said front wall member to said end wall members contiguous to the sloping front edges thereof; a drawer disposed so as to be moved through said opening, the edges of said drawer resting on said flanges when the drawer is in closed position; an upwardly faced channel extending from one end to the other of said front wall member inside the lower edge thereof; and a cover plate for said drawer having a flange at its front edge to engage said channel, the rear edge portion of said cover plate resting on the upper edge of said vertical spreader member.

LEON E; naocnj REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 772,961 Reichle Oct. 25, 1904 1,672,633 Vogel June 5, 1928 1,729,268 Henderson Sept. 24, 1929 1,918,329 Gore July 18, 1933 2,153,422 Kroman Apr. 4, 1939 2,185,398 Anderson Jan. 2, 1940 2,349,351 Jarvis May 23, 1944 

